When A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada entered the port of New York City on 17 September 1965, few Americans took notice--but he was not merely another immigrant. He was on a mission to introduce ancient teachings of Vedic India to mainstream America.

Before Srila Prabhupada passed away at the age of eighty-one on 14 November 1977, his mission was successful. He had founded the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), colloquially known as the 'Hare Krishna Movement', and saw it grow into a worldwide confederation of more than 100 temples, ashrams and cultural centers.